Ok, so lately me and my family have been watching the old 70's show "The Hardy Boys" yea it's old, but I'm loving it. So it got me wondering, "I wonder if there are any good mystery books out there?". I know, I know, The Hardy Boys started out as a book series, but from what I've looked up, they appear to be almost children's books. Does anyone else know? Also, what about the Nancy Drew books? I'm looking for something that will really get me thinking about "whodunit!?". I don't want to read a children's book that's as easy to figure out as a children's puzzle. Anyone have any good recommendations? My dad has a bunch of Sherlock Holmes stories so I'm gonna definitely be tearing through those, but I was just curious about what you guys got to recommend.
I'm in my 20s and I don't think Nancy Drew is childish. If you like Hardy Boys, you'll probably enjoy N.D. too. There's also Agatha Christie's books.
The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series were both written a team of writers - the same team, in fact. Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene are both pen names of Edward Stratemeyer, who founded the Startemeyer Syndicate, the team that has maintained both series over the years. Statemeyer himself wrote the first editions in both series, and created the characters. The Tom Swift Junior series was also produced by the Staremeyer Syndicate, using the pen name Victor Applegate III.
Absolutely Agatha Christie. I read most of her books between age 15-16, and they got me thinking analytically & inspired me to write, properly. Let me know if you want any specific recommendations.
If you want to read the person Agatha Christie used to read, then you should check out Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton. I have to warn you, though, it's written by a completely different culture and it's a century old. Very good narrative, though.
I love the Hardy Boys - have you read the more modern ones? (Case Files. and a more recent first person one?) Agatha Christie is an essential (Poirot, Marple, Tommy and Tuppence) Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock) Ruth Rendall (Wexford) Alannah Knight (Inspector Faro, Rose McQuinn) Kathy Reichs (Temperence Brennan - if you are used to the TV show Bones be prepared character is very different) Quentin Jardine (DCC Bob Skinner) Dorothy L Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey) Ellis Peters (Cadfael) Andrew Cope (if you like Hardy Boys which is junior fiction so are Spy Dog/Spy Pups and I don't care if they are kids stories they are wonderful) Enid Blyton (again kids stories, but Famous Five, Secret Seven, Mystery Series, Adventure Series, Adventorous Four etc)
